So the music world loves the word “hey“ as exemplified in the 26 or so songs referenced in the above verse authored by the Bard of Wedwand.

“Hey” is the exclamation point on a song. It doesn’t matter if “hey” starts the song or if it is strategically interjected. “Hey” is the one word we know when we know no others in a sing-along.

In fact, Rock and Roll Part 2, a 1972 song by Gary Glitter, contains only one word in its three minutes and two seconds of guitar and drum mania. Yet, it’s a favorite in the stadium crowds. Why? Cause everyone knows the word and when it comes, they can sing along.

If you want to play a fun game on your drive home from work, click the station buttons and see how many songs have the word “hey” in them. In my half hour commute tonight, I found four. One every 7.5 minutes. It helps relieve the boredom, and hey, it might make a heavy traffic day a little less frustrating.

I continued the ”Hey” song quest when I heard a TV car commercial from Jeep with a background song, “Hey Hey Hey. Hey Hey Hey. Livin life like we’re Renegades”.

Then as I rode down the road on the way to work there were more that I forgot.

Oddly enough, I forgot to mention, Don’t You Forget About Me, hey hey hey hey from the movie The Breakfast Club. Did they mean to use four heys or did they stutter?

So here’s to you Mrs. Robinson, heaven holds a place for those who pray. Hey hey hey.

Hey, don’t listen to a word I say, Hey! The screams all sound the same, Hey! This band is from Iceland so apparently “hey” has an international appeal.

Then there’s the Fab Four classic, Hey, you got to hide your love away.

They’re all over out there in song world and on the radio waves.

Interesting observation about the hey thing. Sometimes, it’s just hey. Sometimes, it’s hey hey, but it very often comes in triplicates, most effectively delivered as a hey hey hey.

Although Simple Minds and Van Halen also utilized the quadruple hey hey hey hey. A random isolated hey is cool too. But that must be shouted for effect.

Shock the monkey, HEY!

One final song. It’s been around since 1969. Maybe this year the lyrics of the song will finally come true.

Hey Hey Holy Mackerel, the Cubs are on their way. It was the 1969 Chicago Cubs fight song performed by Johnny Frigo. Really, it was.

Hey, hey, holy mackerel, no doubt about it,
the Cubs are on their way!
The Cubs are gonna hit today
they’re gonna pitch today
they’re gonna field today
come what may, the Cubs are gonna win today!
Hey, hey holy mackerel, no doubt about it
The Cubs are on their way
They’ve got the hustle they’ve got the muscle
the Chicago Cubs are on their way!!!

But hey, you take care out there.

FOOTNOTE: This week’s entry is a consolidation of two Wedwand posts from July, 2015.

Here’s a past post from September 2014 with a seasonal theme that continues. (NOBODY still cares about your fantasy football team.) If you remember it, kudos to you, You’re a loyal Wedwand reader. If not, enjoy it like its new to you.

BITS AND PIECES

Now introducing a new monthly feature on Wedwand called Bits And Pieces. Three short vignettes, blips or observations that are randomly selected with a song theme.

If you wanted to take a stab at the name of this iconic (I said iconic NOT epic) band from the 60’s that inspired this week’s inaugural edition, there will be a poll at the end.

Here we go.

GLAD ALL OVER

Just got back from a Chicago to Los Angeles trip and took my first flight on Spirit Airlines. As you may know, Spirit specializes in “ala carte” air fare. That is to say, the tickets are cheap but you pay for everything else, even for carry-on luggage bigger than a back pack.

Their seats do not even recline which I think is fantastic. This prevents the A-hole in front of you from randomly shooting back his seat and jamming the cartilage in your knees or spilling your drink. It’s happened to me. I’m sure it’s happened to you.

However, their ala carte menu allows you to purchase the “big seat” which for my cross-continental flight to LA truly made me feel glad all over.

Sadly, no big seat was available for the ride home, but I did pay extra for a seat in the exit row. And, I’m pretty sure most of the passengers felt a little safer having me there with more leg room in that row.

Bottom line, if you can fit all the clothes you need for your trip in a back pack and don’t care about leg room, fly Spirit. They have good no frills fares.

BECAUSE

Wedwand would like to salute an unsung invention, an unlikely machine that is overlooked for its value and efficiency. That invention is the stapler.

This simple device keeps our papers together at work, school or play. The stapler even subtly keeps our magazines and other publications together. They come in all shapes and sizes ranging from the size of your thumb to big industrial sized staplers.

It is efficient and quite simple to use, even for one as technically challenged as I. One simple wham on the top with the hand and bang, your papers are connected.

Wikipedia tells us that the first stapler was invented for King Louis XV of France. The Staple Singers also had a number one hit called, “I’ll Take You There.” It is a poignant love song about two pieces of paper longing to get together that were finally attached.

EVERYBODY KNOWS

Football season is upon us again and you know what that means? It’s Fantasy Football time for many NFL fans. Wedwand has one piece of advice for all you Fantasy Football players out there:

NOBODY wants to know about your Fantasy Football team. Trust me on this one. I have a Fantasy Football team and even I don’t want to know about it.

The only borderline acceptable mention is this. If you are at a football-watching-type-party with appetizers nobody should eat without a defibrillator and a touchdown is scored, you may say, “That’s my guy.” Those three words ONLY.

So September begins which signifies that summer once again has not so slowly slipped away. Where did it go, that summer we looked forward to after the brutal winter that preceded it?

Oh, there were some good times, a concert or four in the park, a trip to the beach, a baseball game, a wedding, a blockbuster movie, a road trip, and poof, it’s gone.

I’ve always had this time space continuum thing. Why are we in the moment we’re in when we’re in it?

What did we do when we were faced with the challenge of the bad moment? What was the sequence of events that led to it being a bad moment? How could it have been different if one thing changed?

From time to time, you get this day that seemed like it would never end and it was horrible, but you got through it and were stronger for it.

Same for the good moments. Sometimes the best things happen when we don’t expect them. As the Talking Heads sang, “And you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?” Maybe it’s 1.21 gigawatts of power.

On occasion you get this day that’s sooo good that you wished would never end. But it does. And you hope you sufficiently captured the moment to make it a lasting memory!

Often times we hear people say:

“I can’t wait until Friday.”
“Boy this has been a long day, I wish it was over.”
“I can’t wait for tomorrow.” Even Annie loves ya, tomorrow. It’s only a day away.

Got me to thinking about how we should cherish each moment of the day whenever it happens and not wish away time.

Where does the time go? Where did the time go? Where will the time go? What will you do with your time? Will you wish it away?

Because at the end, we all wish we had more time.

FOOTNOTE: This week’s entry is a modified version of post from September 3, 2014. Here’s the link if you care to read the original. (Feel free to take the Best September Song poll if you read it.)